Improvement in bag-fasteners



G. ERNST. Bag-Fastener.

No. 216,385. Patented June 10, 1879.

N.PETER8. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

eEoEeE ERNST, or HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO OELBIGHS & 00., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN BAG-FASTENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,385, dated June 10, 1879; application filed March 5, 1879. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ERNST, of Hoboken, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bag-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a grain-bag with my improved fastener shown in open position, and Fig. 2 a perspective view of the bag in closed position.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention has reference to a simple bagfastener for closing the grain bags employed for shipping grain to Europe, the object being to dispense with the sewing up of the bags, and furnishing in place thereof a fastening device that may be closed or opened with great facility without requiring specially skilled workmen.

The invention consists of a grain-bag having two buttons or handles attached thereto at opposite points, said buttons being connected by a string, which is looped to one button, then wound around the gathered-up neck of the bag, passed around the opposite button, and retained finally thereon by a loop or socalled back-hitch.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a grainbag, and B B two buttons or handles, of wood or other material, which are firmly attached to opposite points of the bag, a short distance below the mouth of the same. The handles or buttons B are arranged with center grooves, around which the strong threads or other fastening devices a are applied. The buttons or handles B B not only facilitate the handling of the bag in filling, but also serve for closing thebag in connection with a string, (J, which is placed by a loop, a, at one end on one handle. The upper portion of the bag is then gathered up, the string 0 wound twice or oftener around the neck of the same below the buttons, then twice below the opposite button, being finally secured thereon by g a loop or so-called back-hitch, b, as shown in Fig. 2.

By means of these fasteners common sailors may quickly and easily handle and close the grain-bags without requiring the sewing up of the bags. They are furthermore conveniently opened for discharge on arriving at their point of destination by releasing and unwinding the closing-strings.

I am aware that bag-fasteners having one handle only, such as that shown in the Patent of Thomas Hopkins, dated August 21, 1860, and numbered 29,695, are old and well known. In these fasteners the closing-string is liable to loosen itself by slipping at one side of the neck of the bag, so as to cause thereby the opening of the bag. This is avoided bya second button or handle at the opposite side of the neck, which has the further advantage of facilitating the discharging of the bag without removing it from the shoulder of theperson carrying it, as the bag is held by one hand and the string readily unlooped and detached from the neck of the bag by the other hand, which feature forms, next to the convenient closing of the bags, the most important advantage in the practical use of such fasteners.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The combination of a grain -bag, A, provided with buttons or handles B B, secured by center fastenings at opposite points, with a closing-string, O, that is applied by a loop to one button, and, after being wound around the neck of the bag, to the opposite button, substantially as specified,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have signed my name, in pres ence of two witnesses, this 27th day of February, 1879.

GEORGE EENsT.

Witnesses PAUL GoEPEL,- ADOLF DENGLER. 

